GRR

GRR Rapid Response (GRR) is an open-source incident response framework designed to enable rapid data collection and live forensics across large numbers of endpoints. It originated at Google and has since been maintained by a broader community of contributors. The project aims to provide scalable, automated investigation capabilities for security operations teams and incident responders.

GRR uses a client–server architecture. A central server coordinates work by issuing flows and hunts to GRR clients installed on endpoints. The clients execute tasks such as collecting forensic data, running commands, or capturing specific artifact data, and then return the results to the server. A web-based Admin UI and associated components allow investigators to manage cases, monitor progress, and review collected evidence. The system typically relies on a relational database backend to store results and metadata, with pluggable storage options for scalability.

Core concepts in GRR include flows, hunts, and artifacts. Flows are modular routines that implement data collection or live-response actions on a single endpoint. Hunts are multicast-style operations that target many endpoints to perform the same data collection at scale. Artifacts define what data should be collected (for example, software inventory, registry keys, or file metadata) and can be extended with custom definitions. The Foreman component (or equivalent orchestration layer) coordinates the distribution and execution of tasks across the fleet.

GRR is designed for use in digital forensics, incident response, and threat hunting. It supports extensibility through new artifacts and flows, enabling organizations to tailor data collection to their investigative needs. The project is released under an open-source license, commonly cited as Apache 2.0, and is accompanied by community documentation and examples.